Resistive thin layer heating of fluorescent lamp
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorsLajos Csibi, Laszlo Bankuti, Csaba Koronya, Janos Kallay, Peter Almosdi
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Fluorescent lamps, along with their methods of manufacture and use, are provided. The fluorescent lamp can include a discharge tube extending from a first end to a second end; a resistive transparent coating (e.g., a tin oxide thin film layer, such as a fluor-doped tin oxide thin film layer) on the outer surface of the discharge tube; and a pair of electric terminals positioned on the discharge tube such that a first terminal is on the first end and a second terminal is on the second end.
Claims15
A low pressure fluorescent lamp comprising:
- a discharge tube extending from a first end to a second end, wherein the discharge tube defines an inner surface and an outer surface;
- a phosphor coating on the inner surface of the discharge tube;
- a resistive transparent coating on the outer surface of the discharge tube, wherein the resistive transparent coating has a resistivity of about 10 ohms to about 10,000 ohms;
- and
- a pair of electric terminals positioned on the discharge tube such that a first terminal is on the first end and a second terminal is on the second end;
- the lamp further comprising a lamp driver electrically connected to a discharge driver and a heating driver, wherein the discharge driver is electrically connected to the first electrode and the heating driver is electrically connected to the resistive transparent coating on the first end of the discharge tube.
A fluorescent lamp comprising:
- a discharge tube extending from a first end to a second end, wherein the discharge tube defines an inner surface and an outer surface;
- a resistive transparent coating on the outer surface of the discharge tube, wherein the resistive transparent coating has a thickness of about 1.2 μm or less;
- and
- a pair of electric terminals positioned on the discharge tube such that a first terminal is on the first end and a second terminal is on the second end.
A low pressure fluorescent lamp comprising:
- a discharge tube extending from a first end to a second end, wherein the discharge tube defines an inner surface and an outer surface;
- a phosphor coating on the inner surface of the discharge tube;
- a resistive transparent coating on the outer surface of the discharge tube, wherein the resistive transparent coating has a variable resistivity such that a middle area of the resistive transparent coating has a greater resistivity than an area of the resistive transparent coating located along at least one of the first end and the second end;
- and
- a pair of electric terminals positioned on the discharge tube such that a first terminal is on the first end and a second terminal is on the second end.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.